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Ranking 5 Draft Prospects for the Timberwolves

By Andrew Neururer

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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March 18, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen (10) reacts against the Saint Mary’s Gaels during the second half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
March 18, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen (10) reacts against the Saint Mary’s Gaels during the second half in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Lauri Markkanen

Height: 7′-0″ Weight: 230 lbs
Age: 20
Position: Center
Stats: 15.6 PPG, 7.2 REB, 42% 3P

Player Comparison: Kristaps Porzingis

Ceiling: Fringe All-Star

Floor: Sixth man

Lauri Markkanen is a freshman out of Arizona. If there’s one thing that he is known for is his ability to shoot the ball. He has a smooth and simple jumper that allows him to release the ball easily and quick. This causes defenses to struggle closing out when he shoots the ball.

Given that he is so tall, he can easily shoot over opponents. A 7′-0″ center who can shoot threes is a style that the NBA is turning to. We are starting to see more of it, with players such as Kristaps Porzingis, Marc Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, and many more.

As you can see in this video presented by Draft Express, Lauri Markkanen has the ability to create his own shots, and catch and shoot.

Averaging 15 points in his only year at Arizona, he found himself shooting it from deep at a 42 percent clip. While the three-point line is deeper in the NBA, he should be able to transition well. In the NBA, look to see him shoot 35 to 40 percent.

Even though Markkanen is a good shooter, he often finds himself struggling to play defense and rebound.

While he has tremendous size, he isn’t the most aggressive player, which allows other teams to score off of him and grab boards. If he can’t figure out how to do anything else but score, then he will find himself coming off the bench.

Markkanen did average seven rebounds a game, but a lot of this was simply due to the fact that he is seven feet tall. But given the talent in the NBA, he may find himself struggling to grab rebounds at the pro level.

If the Wolves were to draft him, they may be finding that he won’t be able to play defense. He only averaged 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals per game. With an already struggling defense, this may not be the best option for the team despite the need for shooting.

With so many elite scorers in the NBA, it will be hard to see Markkanen succeeding very far with the inability to cover other players. Especially with the amount of talented big men already dominating in the NBA.

In this video by Draft Express, you can see that he does struggle to cover other players and rebound.

If he can fix these two weaknesses, he will be a steal around the 10th pick. He might be a stretch at #7, but the Wolves could look to trade back a few picks to select him.

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